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Thrashers stay hot, top Preds in OT

Dec 7, 2010 - 3:46 AM Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Zach Bogosian netted the game-winner at the 2:11 mark of overtime to push Atlanta over Nashville, 3-2, at Philips Arena.

The decisive goal came when Ben Eager picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and skated it past the blue line. He found a wide open Bogosian on a cross-ice pass, and the defenseman was able to finish with a quick shot.

"It was a good heads up play by (Eager)," Bogosian said. "I thought he was going to dump it in there and I just screamed and he heard me. He just slid it over and I came in. I wanted to shoot before the two guys came over. They were closing on me pretty quickly. So I just wanted to get a shot off and luckily it went in."

Andrew Ladd and Jim Slater also tallied for Atlanta, which has won eight of its last nine games. Ondrej Pavelec stopped 27-of-29 shots for the victors.

Steve Sullivan and Colin Wilson each lit the lamp for the Predators, who failed to protect an early two-goal lead and saw their three-game win streak halted. Anders Lindback turned away 34 shots in the loss.

Nashville opened the first period with a pair of goals within three minutes of each other. Sergei Kostitsyn set up the first at the 8:39 mark. He dropped the puck in the top slot to Wilson, who snapped a wrister past the stick hand of Pavelec.

Sullivan deflected the second goal in traffic on a Wilson shot from the center point.

"I thought we played pretty well," said Nashville head coach Barry Trotz."We were a little slow out of the gates. Then we got going and we scored a goal. Then we were fine. We had chances to go up 3-0, 3-1 but they kept hanging around and they got a power-play goal. I thought we played a pretty good game against a team that is playing really well right now."

Atlanta cut the lead in half with 5:35 left in the second frame. Slater won an offensive zone faceoff which was dropped back to Tobias Enstrom, who ripped a shot from the left point. Slater tipped the puck in the air and the disc fluttered over Lindback's shoulder.

The equalizer came 6:49 into the final period off another offensive faceoff win. Dustin Byfuglien rifled a shot from the top of the right circle that was deflected by the Predators goaltender. But Ladd was there to clean up the rebound and backhanded it into the open net for a power play goal.

Game Notes

This was the first of two meetings between the two clubs this season...Atlanta has five wins in extra time this year...Nashville had four penalties to the Thrashers' one...It was Bogosian's second goal of the season...It's the sixth straight home win for Atlanta...Thrashers forward Chris Thorburn played in his 300th career NHL game.